Bloomberg Philanthropies has announced the addition of 20 mayors from the United States and South American countries to its City Data Alliance.

The alliance is part of the Bloomberg Cities partnership with Johns Hopkins University. It promotes the use of data to inform decision making, improve services, enhance equity, and improve the lives of communities.

Mayors representing 11 U.S. and nine Latin American cities will make a shared, public commitment to use data to better understand and more effectively deliver on community needs. With an investment of $60 million from the foundation, the initiative will target cities that are the most sophisticated at using data and have at least 100,000 residents to make policy decisions and propel them to a higher standard. Mayors will receive executive education, individualized city coaching and consultation, and a 12-month investment to improve their capacity for critical data such as performance management, procurement, evaluation, or data as a service. Mayors will engage with and receive instruction from global experts from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, Cornell Tech, and the federal government, as well as mayors and senior city data leaders from the first City Data Alliance cohort. 

“These 20 mayors were selected because of their leadership using data to inform decision-making and respond to challenges, and this program will help them take that work to the next level,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and former mayor of New York City. “The Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance provides tools, support, and peer networking to help mayors achieve their goals by using data even more effectively.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/metamorworks)